I 1st heard of this book when researching #Peru for #FoodAndLit but it wouldn't do b/c it's all about France. It is an 18th-c. epistolary novel written by a French woman. The narrator is an Inca “virgin of the sun“ snatched by Spanish conquistadores, then taken by French soldiers to France. Her letters to her Inca fiancé describe France & its mores from the point of view of an outsider - a “Noble Savage“ - uncorrupted by European civilisation.
Dilara A best-seller in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was then forgotten, like many works by female authors, and rediscovered recently. As it is in the list of books studied for the French 2026 baccalaureate, there are plenty of editions with added commentary and material to choose from! Mine is quite well made for readers who need a lot of hand-holding: each occurrence of a potentially difficult or semi-difficult word is explained. 2mo
Dilara Pic of an aclla, or virgin of the sun, in the public domain from https://short-history.com/the-acllas-inca-women-of-the-sun-2184999efe45 2mo
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